Lost In Her World
by Ali989969
Summary: Again with my need for role reversal!  What if Sookie was the one running down the road without her memories and Eric were the one to find her?  M for language, lemons later
1. Chapter 1

****A/N: Alright folks, well, it seems I've done it again. I finally finish a story with one in progress and I had to go and start another one. I had a dream about this and I just had to put it down. I honestly don't know how much time I'm going to be able to devote to it, because the new shift at work causes me to lose an hour of typing time and I do want to stay on track with "Angel Wings". This is my first attempt out of the A/H realm, so forgive any liberties I take with Charlaine Harris' world. Big ole "Thank Ya" to Storiesforevy for pre-reading and encouraging. All mistakes are mine, but the characters belong to Mrs. Harris.**

I drove my Corvette down the dark country road, thinking about nothing. I had just left Compton's house after giving him his latest assignment from Sophie-Ann. She wanted him to go to Peru to add to his fucking directory. I considered stopping by to see Sookie, but remembering that she had rescinded my invitation the last time I saw her, I thought that a visit would be unwise on my part.

I navigated the roads at my usual break-neck speeds until I saw something that made me leave skid marks on the old, cracked pavement. A blond woman, running down the side of the road. She looked frantically over her right shoulder as though someone or something was chasing her. The back of her white shirt was torn and smeared with blood and mud. She turned her head once in my direction. I saw that it was Sookie.

I pulled onto the shoulder, blocking her path, and exited the car. I caught her arm as she tried to run around me. "Sookie," I said, "what the hell are you doing out here?"

Her blue eyes blazed at me while she tried to pull her arm free of my grasp. "Let me go!" she yelled, her voice flavored with fear and anger and her usual attitude.

I sniffed and stepped back, still holding onto her. She smelled of fae, Were, and magic. Looking down, I saw she was barefoot and, looking up, that she was in her uniform from the shifter's bar. "Sookie, what are you doing?" I repeated.

"Why do you keep calling me that ridiculous name? Who are you? How do you know me?" she asked, no longer struggling against my grip.

This was bad. "Sookie is your name. Sookie Stackhouse. I am Eric Northman." I was unsure how to address her relationship to me. She was not a vampire, therefore, not in my retinue. She was no longer the "pet" of one in my area, not that I would have ever called her that. We were not _exactly_ friends, but that would be the safest term to use. "We are friends," I told her and saw skepticism in her expression. "What is the last thing you remember?"

She was silent as she closed her eyes. When she opened them a moment later, they glistened with frustrated tears. "Nothing! I have nothing! Why can't I remember anything?"

This was getting worse and worse. I wanted to get her off the road. "Sookie, get in the car. I'm taking you to Fangtasia."

"Fangtasia?" she said with a sneer. "What is that, some theme bar?"

Was it possible that the didn't remember the Great Reveal? That vampires exist? I was going to have to proceed with caution. But first I had to get her in the damn car.

"Get in, Sookie. I want to get you off the road and away from whatever you were running from."

That got a response and she jumped into the passenger seat. I had to call Pam before we arrived. My child could be mischievous at the worst times, but I knew she had... affection for Sookie. I made sure that Sookie had her seat belt bucked and took off.

Shortly after, her hands were scrambling for purchase on anything and her back was pressed hard into the seat. "Are you freaking crazy? You're going to kill us at these speeds!" she shrieked and I had to chuckle.

"I have excellent reflexes, Sookie. You are in no danger. I thought it best to leave as quickly as possible. I can slow down if it would make you more comfortable," I told her calmly. She nodded enthusiastically and I slowed accordingly.

"I need to make a call before we arrive," I said, pulling my cell phone out of my pocket. I hit the button to speed dial Pam.

"Master?" she answered, sounding worried. "What's going on?"

"Sookie will be arriving with me tonight. She seems to have a memory problem."

"What?" she asked, sounding as though she thought I was trying to play a joke on her.

"I found her on the road tonight. She remembers _nothing_," I tried to emphasize to her. "I had to tell her her own name."

"Really? Okay, and..."

"I am bringing her to my _theme_ bar," speaking slowly, hoping Pam understood. "Have my office presentable and a change of clothes available for Sookie. And Pam?"

"Yes, Master?" she responded, hearing the serious tone in my voice.

"Behave."

I ended the call and put the phone back in my pocket. I looked over at Sookie. "I have a private shower just outside of my office and my... partner will have fresh clothes available for you. Are you hungry? Would you like to stop for food?" I asked, remembering her human needs.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked suspiciously.

"I told you, we are friends. I'm trying to help you. Now, are you hungry?" I asked, trying to be patient with her and control my irritation.

She silently shook her head and pressed her lips together tightly. I used the time to appraise her condition in my peripheral vision. Her ponytail was messy and she had flyaway tendrils all over her head. Her face was uninjured, but her eyes were constantly darting around like a trapped animal. I could see that some of her fingernails were ragged and torn. There were scratches on her back that looked as though they were made by claws. Fucking Weres! The one that did that would be begging for death before I kindly obliged.

There were other scratches on her legs, but they were clearly caused by branches and briars she had encountered while running. Even without seeing them, I could tell that her feet were cut and bleeding as well. I had no idea why she would be without shoes, but she was, regardless.

I pulled into the back lot of Fangtasia to access the employee entrance. Pam met me outside while Sookie warily exited the car. It gave me a chance to tell her. "She doesn't remember _anything_ – vampires, Weres, shifters, nothing. We need to keep her out of the main bar or she'll get hit with her telepathy. You go in first to clear the halls."

Pam went in right before Sookie got to the door and I could hear her shepherding Ginger and Belinda back out to the main floor. I led Sookie in with my hand on the small of her back and escorted her into my office. I could see that Pam had gotten rid of any stray True Blood bottles and any other signs there may have been that would give away my nature. On my desk I could see a pair of loose fitting pants and a Fangtasia t-shirt from the merchandise booth. I got a towel out of my closet and showed Sookie to the shower. "Take your time," I told her and for the first time, she looked at me gratefully.

Once the water started, Pam returned. "Do you mind telling me the whole fucking story now?"

"I already did. I was returning from giving Compton his assignment and I saw her running down the road like something was after her. She didn't know her name, who I was, nothing. She's a void. Do you know who we can contact for her?"

Pam thought about it. "Besides the shifter? She has a worthless brother, but God only knows how to get in touch with him. There's Compton, but I'm assuming you want him oblivious and on his way to South America. That's it."

I had known that her life was fairly isolated, but to realize that she had so few people to depend on raised her in my esteem even further than she already was. She was already too high in my opinion and I bit back a smile. "After she showers and returns to the office, we need to find a way to tell her about our world, at least a little, so she knows what we are." I sat at my desk and kicked my feet up on the desk, thinking.

I heard the water turn off next door and I motioned to Pam to see if she needed any help. A few moments later, a clean Sookie entered my office and I had to keep my fangs from running down at the sight of her. Her long hair was still damp and the t-shirt was too big, but she looked delicious. She no longer smelled of a menagerie of supes and her own amazing scent filled the room. "Sookie, have a seat. We need to talk."

She took a seat on the leather sofa and looked up at me. Her eyes, usually so full of courage and life, were just blank. I had no idea how to tell her what I needed to, but it had to be done.

"Sookie, there is something that you need to know. About three years ago, Japanese scientists perfected a formula for synthetic blood. Because of its availability, vampires came out and announced to the world that they exist and can now survive without harming humans." I carefully used "they" and not "we", waiting so I could gauge her reaction.

Which was not much. Her eyes widened slightly. "Okay, and you're telling me this why? Did a vampire erase my memories?"

I smiled. She was still comfortable in the supernatural world. "No, I don't believe so. You have interacted with numerous vampires in the past and you seem to be immune to their glamour." Her brow wrinkled slightly in confusion at the term. "Vampire hypnotism. Your mind is not affected by it."

She was quiet while she digested the information. "Okay, so if a vampire didn't do this... why is it important?"

"Sookie, Fangtasia is not a theme bar. We cater to the trade of humans that want to interact with vampires and can get a thrill of doing so in a safe, controlled environment." Never mind the thrill sometimes became uncontrolled; that was not pertinent. Once we no longer had to hide our natures, it became a very profitable venture."

As I expected, she noticed the change in pronouns, but still has no extreme reaction. "So you... and that woman Pam... are vampires. Is that what you're telling me?"

"Yes. And there are several other vampires out in the main bar, on display for the humans."

Her brow wrinkled again. "Why would they do that? It sounds like a zoo, or a carnival freak show. It's degrading."

My smile returned. I knew there was a reason I liked her, beyond my desire to fuck her unconscious. "I agree, as do the other vampires. However, through my position in this area of Louisiana, I require vampires living here to put themselves on display for a set number of hours each month. A vampire bar without vampires would quickly go out of business."

"Your position? What are you, Head Vamp?" she asked and I couldn't hold back a chuckle.

"Sookie, there is a very complicated power structure in the vampire world and it has nothing to do with your situation. I wanted you to be aware of what I am before you accept assistance from me. Are you still comfortable around me?"

She looked over me calmly. "Are you that same person... vampire... whatever that picked me up off the road? If you wanted to kill me, you would have already and no one would be the wiser. Unless you were lying about us being friends, why would I be uncomfortable?"

"No, I wasn't lying. You mean... a great deal to me." It was nothing but the truth. I had protected her at risk and harm to myself more than once. It was unlike me to put myself at risk for a human, or anyone else. I also hadn't lied when I told her in Jackson: "I don't like having feelings". But I couldn't help feeling for the feisty blond sitting on my couch watching me.

I looked toward the door to my office and saw red smears leading to the couch. I got up from my perch on the desk and lifted Sookie's feet gently. Although clean from the shower, they still had some rather deep cuts, and I knew her back had to be in pain also. I felt bad that I hadn't considered her injuries earlier. Fucking feelings!

"Sookie, vampire blood can heal the injuries on your feet and back. Would you like me to heal you?" I asked her.

"What would I have to do?" she asked, wary again.

"Allow me to rub some of my blood into the cuts on your feet. I would need to see your back to see what I would need to do to heal that. It looked like your were mauled earlier. Do you agree?"

She nodded and I pricked my finger with a fang, happy to see she didn't flinch. I gently ran the bead of blood over the sole of her foot, and watched the cuts seam back together. I pricked a second finger and repeated the process on the other foot, with the same results. Sookie looked at her feet with amazement. "That's incredible!" She said. "Why aren't you guys doctors? You could heal so many people!"

"Sookie, this is a secret we don't want getting out. Vampires are already sought and drained for their blood for use as an illegal drug. We don't want to... advertise any extra abilities that may cause even more to hunt us. Now let me see your back."

She turned and lifted the back of the t-shirt. It looked like a huge paw had dragged its claws down her beautiful skin. She already had scars from her encounter with the maenad and from a stake-happy fanatic in Mississippi and I didn't want her scarred further. "Sookie, I'm going to clean your cuts, then heal them with my blood. I have a coagulant in my saliva that will help them heal. Do you still want me to heal your back?" I wanted to make sure she knew what I was doing. I didn't want to lose any trust that may have been earned in the short time _this_ Sookie had known me.

She nodded, and whimpered when my tongue made contact with the gashes. At the taste of her blood, this time untainted my any kind of poison, I couldn't help but moan with delight. She was like nothing I had ever tasted before. I tried to be both as quick yet thorough, wanting her to be comfortable. Once I had the cuts clean, I rubbed more blood into them to heal them.

Sookie lowered her shirt and rolled her shoulders, feeling the soreness and stiffness gone. She gave me a small smile. "Thank you, Eric," she said and had to stifle a yawn.

"Sookie, I want to take you back to my house. You can sleep there and tomorrow we can try to piece together what happened to you tonight," I told her. She nodded, her face tired and resigned. I texted Pam that we were leaving. I escorted Sookie back to the Corvette and headed for my home.

****A/N: So... what do you think of my first supe venture? I need to know if I should continue any further with this. Suggestions, comments, critiques... all are welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, so I know it had been a loooooooooooong time since I worked on this story, but Storiesforevy pretty much demanded I find my Vamp Eric mojo and give her another chapter. And I try to give my girl what she wants. She's crafty like that. I'm still not entirely sure of the whole supe/vampy thing, since I'm WAY more comfortable when I make them human. Forgive the liberties I take with the whole Sookieverse supernatural rules. Mrs. Harris created the world and owns the characters, but I'm playing with them since I get off on role-reversal**

Pam cleared the halls of vermin before giving me the all-clear to bring Sookie out to my car. I was still marveling at her nonchalance around Pam and myself, knowing our nature. That, plus the exquisite taste of her blood, made me believe she was more than human.

Her eyes still darted around restlessly and warily as I led her through the dark lot to the Corvette. Once in, she quickly buckled her seat belt, making me smile. As I left the parking lot, her posture relaxed slightly and she turned toward me.

"I'm not wrong to trust you, am I?" she asked quietly.

I thought about that for a moment. "Sookie, I have never hurt you. I've never lied to you, even if I haven't told you all that I know. I have risked danger to myself and/or my progeny to keep you safe. You are not wrong to trust me."

"But would you tell me if I was? And what do you mean 'progeny'?"

I had to chuckle a little. "Well, if I meant you harm, I would probably tell you the same thing. And Pam is my child, as I made her a vampire."

"Your blood won't make me a vampire, will it?" She suddenly sounded anxious.

"It takes much more blood than I used to heal your wounds to turn you. You would have to be on the edge of death from blood loss, and take a substantial infusion of my blood before you would become vampire. I know you have no desire to be turned. That is not something you have to fear from me." She would make a marvelous vampire. She had the temperament for it. But I left that thought unspoken.

She was silent as I traveled the roads to my home. I still drove fast, but slower than usual as a courtesy to my passenger. I reached a gate and rolled down my window. I placed my hand on a scanner, after which, the gate opened. I pulled down the long, wooded drive to my home. I had several houses throughout northern Louisiana, but this was the one I felt Sookie would be most comfortable in. Before we had left Fangtasia, I texted Bobby a list of food and clothes for him to stock the house with before we arrived. I could still see his car parked next to the house as I got closer.

After I placed the car in park, Sookie exited the car slowly, uncertainly. I was sure this was not the kind of house she was expecting (although, honestly, how could she really expect _anything_?). The expansive two-story log cabin filled her frame of vision. I had built it on a hill so I would have the ability to build a basement for my resting place. I took her hand carefully, slowly so she would see it coming, and led her to the main door. Another scanner stood ready at that door also. I placed my hand on the pad, at which you could hear the locks flipping. Once the last one had clicked, I turned the knob to enter.

I had taken pride in this, making it feel homey. The furniture was in neutral blacks, browns, and beiges with colorful accents. Never let it be said that only queens can decorate tastefully. Even Pam had been impressed with my decorating here. I took Sookie to the kitchen, to let her eat if she was hungry. Bobby saw and greeted me, with a small nod in Sookie's direction, then turned back to finish stocking the refrigerator.

"I don't even know you; you don't have to be rude!" Sookie exclaimed. Shit. The telepathy. But I had to wonder what Bobby had thought about her.

"What did you hear, Sookie?" I asked carefully, glancing as Bobby's face drained of color.

"You didn't hear it? It was clear as day!"

"I missed it. What did you hear?"

"He was wondering why you continued wasting your time on white trash like me when you could have anyone you wanted. Why you continue to favor me when I don't give you the respect a vampire of your stature deserves." Her eyes were narrowed at Bobby, who was starting to sweat. I could smell his fear from having his secret thoughts about her revealed.

"Did he now? Well, I'll just have to adjust his thinking. Bobby?" I asked, not bothering to disguise the growl in my voice.

"Master, I meant nothing by it. It was a random thought I had no control over. She's quite a lovely woman." he spoke quickly and nervously.

"No, he thinks I have lovely tits. Really?" Her tone of voice was clearly insulted, not realizing she had heard his thoughts, not his actual spoken words.

"Bobby, did you purchase all I asked of you?" I asked, just wanting him out of my sight and not wanting to subject Sookie to more of his foul thoughts.

He listed off the food and clothes he had procured and verified that the guest bedroom had been aired out for Sookie. She was starting to look dead on her feet, yawning and rubbing her eyes often.

He scurried off with a flick of my hand. It was a shame that a good daytime gofer was hard to find and train appropriately. I asked Sookie again if she was hungry.

"I might just make myself a sandwich. Something to keep me from waking up hungry." She took sliced of bread from the bag and cold cuts and cheese out of the refrigerator. I grabbed myself a True Blood and put it in the microwave. I detested the stuff, but I hadn't fed that night and it would be dangerous for me to wake hungry with Sookie's scent in the house.

I shook the bottle while Sookie put her meal together. I grimaced as I drank; she moaned with pleasure as she took bites. I tried to keep my mind clear of other ways to make her moan the way the sandwich did and was momentarily jealous... of food. She finished her meal quickly and put the paper towel she had used as a plate in the trash. I told her I needed to talk to her before she retired for the night and led her to the living room.

As we sat on the couch, I asked her more about Bobby's thoughts. She only found it odd that I hadn't heard them the way she had. I explained to her about her telepathy and how she had head what was inside of his head rather than what his mouth was saying. She reacted to that as calmly as she had everything else, and even found humor in it. "I guess I'm just a walking lie detector, huh?"

"You have been employed by vampires before for just that purpose. You can tell when other humans have been glamored and when their thoughts betray their speech. You can't read vampires; you never have been able to, as far as I know. Shifters and weres... they're a little different," I explained, knowing that I was opening a whole new can of worms.

"Okay, you know I'm going to ask..." she started and I smiled.

"Were is short for werewolf. They are the only shifter so proud and numerous as to call themselves simply 'were'. There are other kinds of shifters: were-bats, were-panthers, were-tigers, et cetera, that only turn into one kind of animal. Then there are simply 'shifters' that have the ability to change into any kind of animal, well, the last animal they see. At least, that's how I understand it. I don't pay weres and shifters much attention." I added scornfully.

"And I actually know some of these... shifters and weres?" she asked uncertainly.

"Many. In fact, at least one person very close to you." I was acutely aware of the shifter's "crush" on Sookie. I was glad to have her away from him for now, but he would have to be notified in some way before he involved law enforcement. But that could wait until later.

Sookie yawned again. "Eric, I am really tired. Is there somewhere I can get a blanket. I'll sleep here on the couch; I don't want to put you out."

Still the southern belle manners. "Sookie, I have a guest room that you can use. Come, I'll show you."

I took her hand and led her up the stairs to the second floor. The guest room was one that Pam had decorated and was far too feminine for my tastes. The king sized bed was canopied and covered in a light blue and purple comforter with more pillows than was necessary. Sookie loved it. "I asked Bobby to pick up some clothes for you to change into if you don't want to sleep in what you're wearing. There's an attached bath, so you don't have to go searching. Just so you know, at daybreak, the house automatically shutters itself against the sun on a timer. I sometimes wake before full dark and don't want to be stuck in my resting place. Feel free tomorrow to make yourself food, enjoy the entertainment center in the living room. If you leave the house, you will not be able to reenter until I rise. All the doors are secured with a hand print scanner. Besides, it would be safer for you to stay inside until we know more about what happened to you. Do you agree?"

She nodded as she wandered around the room with wide eyes, taking in everything. She looked in the bathroom and came back out with a surprised expression. "All this for a guest room?"

"Sookie, I like my guests to be comfortable. Is this room to your liking?"

"Very much, Eric. Thank you." She looked as though she had more that she wanted to say, but uncertain as to how to go about it. I patted her hand comfortingly to coax it out of her. "Would you mind staying with me until I fall asleep?"

I was conflicted. She needed the comfort, but it was against my nature to... snuggle. Her needs won out in the end and I curled my body around her back as we laid down. She grasped my hand and pulled my arm over her as she cuddled against me. I took the opportunity to smell her intoxicating scent as her beautiful ass innocently nestled against my cock. This woman would be the death of me.

After a while, her steady breathing told me she was deeply asleep. I extricated my hand from hers and smoothly slid off the bed. I went back down the stairs to my office. I pulled out the phone book for Shreveport and the surrounding area to see if there was a listing for Jason Stackhouse. I had met the imbecile once when he had entered Fangtasia, looking for a piece of ass. I guess he had used up the Bon Temps supply. Finding a number, I called

"You got Jay. You know what to do," was the recording that responded after four rings. Rolling my eyes, I spoke. "Stackhouse, this is Eric Northman. I need you to call me back as soon as you get this. It is regarding Sookie." I continued, leaving the number for a pre-paid cell I kept when I didn't want to give out my personal number. I debating calling the shifter she worked for, and decided I should, as neither she nor I knew her work schedule. I looked up the number in the directory, but decided it was so late, I should call his personal number.

"Do you know what fucking time it is?" was the tired sounding greeting I got.

"Approximately two fourteen am," I responded after looking at my watch.

"Who is this and what the fuck do you want?"

"Northman. I need to know Sookie's work schedule for the next several days."

"Ask her yourself. Or is she still staying away from you damn bloodsuckers?"

"As a matter of fact, she is in my bed right now. She's so exhausted she can't remember when she has to work next." I did not lie. I just told the truth in a very misleading way.

"Motherfu... let me talk to her," he demanded.

"She's asleep. I'm calling for her."

"I don't believe you."

"Believe what you want. I really couldn't care less. I am trying to help her. When does she next have to work?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Shifter, call her house. See if she answers. Call her brother. See if he's seen her. I know for a fact that Compton is on his way to South America. What is her next shift."

He hung up on me, I assume to make the calls that I suggested. He called me back in less than five minutes. "What happened to her?"

"For someone who cares for her as much as you claim to, it took a long time for you to ask. She was attacked tonight and I have her at my home for safekeeping. Until I can find out what happened to her, she will not be returning to work."

"Why can't she tell me this for herself?" He really was a hard-headed fucker.

"I told you already, she is asleep. I am going to be spending the rest of tonight and tomorrow after I rise taking care of her and discovering who or what attacked her."

I heard his sigh of frustration. "Let me take care of it. I can protect her just as well as you can."

"Unfortunately, Shifter, you cannot. If something more pressing than her work schedule arises, I will notify you. Consider her on a leave of absence for the moment. Preferably paid." Preferably my ass. If he didn't pay her, I would take care of her missing shifts myself.

I ended the call abruptly and turned my ringer off. I checked the Shreveport papers to see if there had been any violent crimes of unknown origin recently and turned up empty. Not knowing what else to do, I searched the internet for causes of amnesia when I saw my phone light up as it rang silently. Pam.

"Pamela, tell me you have some information for me," I said as a greeting.

"I might have something. Chow came in after you left with some interesting information."

"And that information was..."

"There's a witch coven in Shreveport demanding profits from every supe owned establishment or they'll be cursed."

"That's bad, but we can take care of our own. What aren't you telling me?"

"Chow said he could smell the wolf on them. And the blood."

Fuck. Witch weres hopped up on vampire blood. And I instantly knew they had been the ones to attack Sookie. Now all I needed to know was who they were and what they wanted from her.

**A/N: So, I'm curious if anyone besides Evy had interest in this story. I will say that this muse is a flaky little bitch that takes off on tropical vacations without notice and needs to be lured back with promises of chocolate martinis and filet mignon. My broke ass can't afford that on a constant basis. Honestly, I never expected to come back to this, but Evy is good and getting what she wants. Still want to know what you think. Reviews really make my day and can inspire me to come back to this in less than 2+ months. Please feed my need for love.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So. Freaking. Amazed. Really, my socks are completely rocked by the response this little story has gotten. Evy deserves massive props for kicking my butt into gear on this. I am going a lot off DTTW, but it's hard to get into this Eric's mind, since this is from his POV. I've been toying with a random SPOV chapter, but since she's essentially clueless, I don't know how entertaining it would be. Charlaine Harris owns the characters, I'm just putting through some messed up role-play for my own deviant pleasure. Enjoy the weirdly long chapter.**

I spent the remainder of the evening trying to confirm existence of Were witches extorting the Shreveport supernatural community. I was not happy to have the threat confirmed by multiple sources. I made a list of contacts to get in touch with the following evening when I rose, then wrote a note for Sookie. She would be unable to access my resting space after I died for the day.

_Dear Sookie,_

_ I hope you rested well. Please take advantage of all my home has to offer. As you saw last night, my kitchen is well stocked with food. If you like TV, feel free to use the entertainment system in the living room. If not, I have a small library off my office with many books that you may enjoy. Also, feel free to explore. You will be unable to access any area that is secure._

_ On that note, please remember that if you go outside, you will be unable to reenter until I rise in the evening. This is for your safety, and mine. Enjoy your day, make yourself at home, and I will see you at sundown._

_-E_

I folded the note and placed it on the nightstand next to the bed she slept in. I made my way back down the stairs to the hidden panel to access the basement.

The entire floor was set up for my maximum comfort and convenience. I couldn't understand the vampires that still spent their days in crypts, or Gods forbid, the ground. I have done both, but out of necessity only. It was foolish to hang on to outdated practices when modernizing was much more... pleasant.

I attached my phone to its charger and undressed before reclining on the bed. I could feel the sunrise pulling me down and thought no more.

**x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X**

I rose and reoriented myself with where I was. Moving resting spots had that effect. I pulled on jeans to go upstairs to greet Sookie. The sun wasn't all the way down yet, but the interior of the house was secure. As soon as I exited the basement, I was hit with Sookie's exotic, unique scent. I couldn't stop my fangs from dropping and took a moment to will them back. I didn't want to scare her when she was finally so trusting of me.

I followed her scent to the library. She was curled into an overstuffed armchair with some Jane Austen novel resting on her bare legs. She had changed into shorts and a t-shirt when she had gotten dressed earlier and was sound asleep. I debated whether to wake her or let her be so she would stay awake longer into the night. I decided to let her sleep and went into my office.

My laptop was on. I got rid of the inactivity screen saver and saw the results of a Google search for "Sookie Stackhouse". Huh. I was surprised. She had never been overly comfortable with technology in general and computers in particular before. I looked over the results. Besides some old news articles about high school softball, the only mentions were in the obituaries of Corbett, Michelle, and Adele Stackhouse.

I bookmarked the page for her, then moved on. I checked the prepaid cell to see if her worthless brother had left a message in response to mine. He had not. Idiot.

I got my usual phone and called Herveaux. As a Were, he might have had information about the coven. As a supe, they may have contacted him, or more specifically, his father. He had cleared his father's gambling debt by housing and protecting Sookie in Jackson, but I still felt he owed something for abandoning her in her time of need.

I hit the button to dial his number. He growled when he answered, much to my amusement. "Northman?"

"Yes, Herveaux. I need some information."

"I don't give a damn what you need. We're square now and I don't owe you a fucking thing."

"Not even to help Sookie?" I knew the wolf had a soft spot for my house guest and I wasn't above exploiting it.

"What's she gotten into now?" he sighed.

"Have you heard of a coven of Were witches taking up residence in Shreveport?"

"I've heard rumblings, but nothing concrete. Why? What do they have to do with Sookie?"

"She was attacked last night. I found her mauled and with no memory. Chow was approached by one of them, threatening my bar. They demanded a percentage of my profits or they would cast spells to drive my business into bankruptcy. Other supe owned establishments have been approached with the same blackmail threats. I need to locate their meeting place."

"Well, I can keep my eyes and ears open. This is the pack's problem now, too. Where is Sookie now?" Always back to her.

"I have her taken care of. Why your interest? I was under the impression that you were back together with the Pelt bitch."

"We've resolved our differences, but that doesn't mean I don't still care for Sookie. I consider her a... friend," he said with some uncertainty.

"Report to me anything you find out," I ordered.

"I don't answer to you," he responded, sounding like a child.

"You didn't complete your job in Mississippi. You left Sookie when she was injured. As compensation for that failure, you _will_ do this." I gave him no room for doubt on that command.

He growled again. "Fine. I'll let you know _if_ I find out anything," he said before ending the call.

I moved to the kitchen. I had been watching when Sookie put together her sandwich the night before and, although it had been more than a millenia since I had prepared any kind of food,I figured I could do that for her. I made a sandwich for her and poured a glass of the sweet tea she had always been so fond of. I put both on the island in the kitchen and went to wake up my guest.

Rubbing her shoulder lightly, I whispered her name, increasing the volume of my voice until I saw her beautiful blue eyes blink open. I could see her try to recall where she was and who I was. "Eric, I'm so sorry. I meant to be awake when you woke up."

"Don't worry yourself about something insignificant. How was your day?"

She smiled. "You have a beautiful home. I spent some time looking around. I found a computer in your office. I wanted to do a little research... on myself. I remember... someone... mentioning that if you wanted to learn about anyone or anything, the best place to start was Google. I figured it out pretty quick." Her face suddenly turned sad. "Almost all my family is dead. Have you tried contacting my brother? Or my cousin?"

She had a cousin? I would have to go back and look over those obituaries. I wasn't aware of any other family besides her brother. "Yes, I left a message for your brother last night. He has yet to return my call."

Her face fell. "You'd think he'd be more worried about me. Do you know anything about him?"

I debated. Should I tell her the truth that her brother was so selfish and self-involved that he barely remembered he had a sister? Or should I tell her what she wanted to hear, that Jason was a good and loving brother that cared for her dearly. I decided that honesty was best and told her what I knew of her moronic brother.

She didn't seem surprised, which surprised _me_. She marked her place in the book and set it to the side. "Are we doing anything tonight?"

"I have to go to Fangtasia and put in an appearance as well as perform some of my sheriff duties. You are free to stay here if you like, or you can come with me. However, if you accompany me, you will need to stay with me. I've been informed of a threat to my area, and it could be the cause of both your injuries and your memory loss."

"I can't spend any more time cooped up. To be honest, I'm a little stir-crazy. Since I only saw your office, what is Fangtasia like?" she asked.

I thought for a moment. "Stereotypical, I suppose. Lots of red and black. Pictures of vampires throughout cinema history. The waitresses and the vampires that work at the bar wear what you would think of when you think of vampires. Black lace, leather, gauzy outfits that Pam despises. The club goers are just as unimaginative, wearing makeup to make them appear paler than they are. They wear outfits that leave little to nothing to the imagination. They either paint their necks with fake fang marks or sport the real thing with pride. It's really rather boring," I recited, not realizing I was talking too much or the fact that I was talking to someone who had just learned about vampires in the last twenty four hours.

"Fang marks?" she squeaked. "I thought you said that vampires lived on that synthetic stuff!"

"We _can_, it doesn't mean that we do. It provides us with nutrition, but leaves much to be desired." I tried to come up with an analogy that she would understand. "Imagine having home cooked food, prepared with love and care, for your whole life, and then suddenly having to live on McDonald's value menu. Sure, you would be able to get things your body needs to live, but the taste and preparation are less than you are used to." She grimaced, and I took that to mean she understood. "That is how True Blood, and the other synthetics on the market, taste to those of us who are old enough to know the difference."

"How old are you?" She asked, then gasped and covered her mouth. "Is that rude? I don't remember the rules for vampire etiquette."

"It's not rude, how ever, it's not a question you would want to ask every vampire you meet. I am around one thousand years old. I have to say I may be off by a few decades, but that is my approximate age."

"Wow," she whispered,more to herself, although I heard it clearly and chuckled. "And to think, you don't look a day over thirty! How old were you when..." she trailed off, not knowing how to ask.

"I can't say for sure how old I was when I was turned. We didn't celebrate birthdays or celebrate the passage of time the way humans do now. I believe I was in my late twenties, but that it just an estimated guess."

"I can't even begin to imagine all the things you've seen in your life," she said, her eyes wide.

"I should also tell you a little more about Fangtasia. Besides vampires, there are many human there, which means, with your telepathy..."

"I'll be bombarded with thoughts. I kind of figured that," she said, nodding. "There has to be a way I dealt with it before, if I was able to go out in public at all. Umm... do you know how I did that?"

"I believe you mentioned something about building shields in your mind to block out the thoughts. We would want to experiment with that before going to the bar. Let me call Bobby and look over the clothes he brought you while we wait, to see if he brought you anything appropriate." I texted Bobby to come to the house immediately while I followed Sookie to her guest room.

She opened the closet and I was impressed with Bobby's foresight. She had several dresses that would be suitable if she were to be by my side all night. I pulled out a black and red one that would look stunning on her curvaceous body. It was tight and corseted at the top and loose at the bottom, flowing to her knee in panels. I handed it to her. "This would be perfect," I told her and was rewarded with a smile.

"I saw this when I was looking over everything this morning. I had wondered if I would have a chance to wear it," she said as she hung it on a hook on the outside on the bathroom.

Again, I was surprised. Normally, Sookie was modest to a fault. Without the memories of the terrible thoughts that had been assaulting her for over twenty years, she was more comfortable in her own skin. Perhaps the memory loss wasn't an entirely _bad_ thing.

A little more than ten minutes later, Bobby knocked on the door. He was well trained. If I was home, he had to wait for permission to enter. Once he was inside, I told him the reason I had him come. I was going to see if Sookie's shields were instinctual or if she would have to relearn them. His job would be to let his mind wander while she tried to block his thoughts from her mind.

She took a seat in a recliner at the end of the couch and closed her eyes. I could tell that she was focused on her task by the clench of her jaw and the way her forehead furrowed with the effort. After a few minutes of this, she opened her eyes. "It got silent for a moment. I wanted to make sure he was still in the room." She turned her head and saw him sitting on the sofa, in the same spot he had been when she started.

"Very good, Sookie. Let's see how long you can do that for. Keep your focus, but tell me when it gets silent again," I told her. She would have thoughts of all kinds being thrown at her in the bar and I wanted to see how long she could go.

She raised her hand after a few moments of concentration to let me know that the thoughts were blocked. After five minutes, I told her, "Open your eyes, I want to see if you can keep blocking while you do other things. I made a sandwich for you in the kitchen," remembering my earlier meal preparation.

She headed for the kitchen stiffly, trying to keep her concentration on blocking Bobby's thoughts. She sat and ate mechanically, the level of her effort still showing on her face. As she ate, though, her face began to relax and her posture loosened. When she had finished her meal, she turned to me. "It took a while to get used to it, but it was almost as though once the shields were up, I could relax. I still can't hear anything from his head. I bet it would take some effort to lower them again."

"Try that for me. From what you had told me, holding up the shields was something that took some effort on your part. Is it no longer that way?"

"It's hard to describe. It's almost as though once I get them to a certain point, they lock and I can relax. It's kind of a relief. If I focus on letting them down," she said as she closed her eyes and furrowed her forehead again, "I can hear everything again." She turned to Bobby. "And, really, you _must_ have better things to think about than my boobs."

I sent him scurrying back to his car to leave. I checked the clock. It was just past seven thirty. "We need to leave for the bar around nine. That should be enough time for you to get ready. Was your meal satisfactory?"

"Yes, it was very good. Umm... what about you?" she asked innocently, not realizing she was testing my willpower.

"I will have a True Blood while you are getting dressed. Don't worry about me."

She looked at me with concern and apprehension. "Would human blood be better for you? From what you said earlier..."

"That was a generalization. I can go much longer without feeding due to my age. Please, go get ready." Yes, she was going to be the death of me.

She left the room and I heard the door to the guest room close, followed closely by the water turning on for the shower. I grabbed a bottle of blood from the refrigerator and stuck it in the microwave. I drank the vile stuff quickly, trying to get it down without it actually touching my tongue. I retreated to my room to pick out my clothes for the night. I grabbed black leather pants, my black motorcycle boots, and a red button down shirt that I left mostly unbuttoned.

Once dressed, I didn't have much to do, so I returned to my office to check on the sheriff duties that were my responsibility. There were two vampires from Texas looking to relocate to my area and some minor disagreements that had to be mediated. Nothing that would take too much time. In truth, I found the bar tedious, but it was the most public of my businesses and the easiest to show profit from. I just had to figure out what could be done about the fucking witches.

I so lost myself in business that I didn't register the light clicks of heels on the wood floor until the warm scent of jasmine, vanilla, and Sookie wafted into the room. I turned and if I had needed to breathe, I would have been knocked breathless. Her hair curled in ringlets down her back, collected at the nape of her neck in a black jeweled clip. The dress hugged her body perfectly and the red heels emphasized her shapely legs. "Sookie, you look amazing," I told her with a sight growl in my voice.

She blushed and I determined that that was my new favorite color. "Thank you. We match, I see," she said gesturing to my black and red ensemble. "You look fantastic, too."

I took her hand to take her to the Corvette. She got her seat belt on as I started the car to head back into Shreveport. Once I parked, Pam greeted us dressed in her Mortitia dress. "I wasn't sure you'd be showing up tonight. Well, Sookie, don't you look positively _yummy_ tonight," she said, running her eyes over Sookie's body.

"Umm, thanks?" she squeaked as she exited the car.

"It was a compliment, I assure you," Pam purred.

"Pamela, behave. What do we have tonight?" I asked her.

"Capacity crowd, as usual. The vampires wishing to relocate are in your booth. The vermin are all a-quiver waiting for you to grace them with your presence," she rattled off in a monotone voice. "Same ole, same ole."

"Sookie will be sitting with me this evening. While I conduct business, she will be in your very capable hands. I expect you take very good care of her in my absence," I told her. I headed to the office to get the sheriff business taken care of as quickly as possible. As Pam led her into the hall, I saw her pause, close her eyes, furrow her brow, then relax. She followed Pam the rest of the way into the club.

I dealt with business in just under an hour, which must have set some sort of record. I headed out to my throne and saw Sookie laughing with Pam and Chow at the bar. Jealously reared its head, but I shoved it down. I smiled at Sookie and held out my hand for her to take. She clasped it willingly and followed me to the dais.

I looked at the writing masses on the floor with disdain, She looked out with a calm curiosity. After a couple of hours of small talk, I looked over at her. "What are they thinking about?" I asked her, gesturing to the crowd, apparently not thinking clearly.

She closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, then blushed deep red. "Sex. Sex with you. Sex with Pam. Sex with Chow or all of you together. Me having sex with you and wondering what you see in me. Wondering what I could have done to get you to give me such specialized attention." She turned her head to a group of four overly made-up fake blondes giving her dirty looks, closed her eyes, and went pale. "They were all thinking about the basement," she whispered and closed her eyes to reset her shields before clamming up and sitting stone still, staring forward.

Shit. If I had thought clearly before asking her to lower her shields, I would have realized that former feed-and-fucks still congregated here, wanting a second turn. The four bleach blondes had spent some quality time with Pam and I in the basement several months previously. It was recreation and I had certainly never intended for Sookie to have that scene in her head.

She said softly, without looking at me, "I'm tired. It's different blocking just one mind than hundreds. Can I go back to your office? I need to rest."

I motioned to Pam to take her back to my office. I should have realized that having multiple minds bearing down on her would take more energy to block than just Bobby's mind alone. I stayed on my throne for another half-hour, then retired back to my office. Sookie was asleep on the couch. I lightly shook her shoulder until I saw her eyes blink open.

"I'm sorry tonight was so hard on you," I said softly as she sat up.

"Is that what you like?" she asked just as softly and I knew what she was referring to.

"Sometimes," I told her honestly. "Vampires get bored very easily. Things like that offer a bit of variety. It's..." I thought a moment, trying to think of an appropriate way to explain to someone with so little knowledge of our world and the world in general. "It's a form of release. Nothing more."

"Have we ever..." she asked and turned that delectable shade of red again.

"No," I said shortly, because it certainly wasn't for lack of trying. She had almost yielded to me in Jackson before Bubba's moronic ass interrupted. If she were herself, I had no doubt that I would be propositioning her until she gave in or stormed out. But with her so unusually trusting of me, it felt... wrong. Who knew I still had a conscience?

She tiled her head and looked at me curiously. "Why not?"

I paced my office while I tried to think of a way to word my answer to her. "You were involved with another vampire until quite recently. When I saw you last night, it was the first time I had seen you since the relationship ended."

She cocked her head to the side, curious. "Why did it end?"

"He cheated on you. And despite that knowledge, you still risked your life to save him when he was in danger."

"Why would I do that?"

I thought about that for a few moments. "He was your first love. His unfaithfulness may have ended your relationship, but you were incapable of standing by while he was in peril. Using your telepathy to get information on his whereabouts in Mississippi. It was how you got the scar on your side."

"How did that happen? And how did I survive?"

"A crazed zealot was going to stake a vampire in a club for supernatural beings. You heard his intentions in time to warn the vampire in danger and he staked you instead. It was fortunate that I was there in disguise; I was able to escort you to the estate where Bill was being held hostage. One of the vampires there helped you heal once the stake was removed, then I gave you a large amount of my blood to help you regain your strength."

Her brow furrowed. "And I still wasn't willing to... I mean, you and I didn't..."

I gave her a small smile. "We've come close. But no, we never have."

"Is it too early to leave? This is a lot of information for me to process and I have to say that I don't really feel like going back out to the bar with all those thoughts flying around."

"I believe now is the perfect time to leave. I have put in my appearance for tonight. Let me tell Pam to close and we can go." I sent Pam a text and led Sookie back out to the car. She was quiet on the drive back, but several emotions crossed her face. I allowed myself to feel what my blood in her was telling me. She was feeling apprehension, confusion, excitement, and curiosity. It was an intriguing mix of emotions.

I parked and placed my hand on the scanner at the front door to disengage the locks. Once we were inside, Sookie headed straight to her guest room and closed the door. It had been too much for her. I should have waited before taking her to the club.

I went to my office to see if I had missed anything while I was out. Still no message from her brother. I pulled up the bookmarked page of Google results and read over the obituary for her grandmother. Along with Sookie and Jason, another grandchild was mentioned. Hadley Delahoussaye. No. It couldn't be the same. Impossible.

Sookie interrupted my musings. She had changed into loose fitting pants and a tank top, had taken her hair down, and washed her make-up off. She appeared younger than her twenty-six years. She was breathtaking.

"Eric, I know that taking care of me is putting you in a difficult position. It's hard for me to know exactly what I'm missing, but every answer you've given me to the countless questions I've asked has the ring of truth to it. You aren't trying to treat me like a child, and I appreciate it."

"Sookie, I told you from the beginning. You can trust me. I don't want any harm to come to you."

"Can you do one more thing for me?" Her neck and cheeks started to turn that amazing shade of pink yet again.

"I will do everything I can for you. You need only ask." I was truly curious as to what she wanted. Her emotions we flaring too fast for me to get a read on a single one.

"Will you kiss me?" she asked.

**A/N: Yes, I am ending the chapter there. If you're curious, the link to see Sookie's dress is on my profile. I think I'm gonna have to give in and stock up on Godiva Liquor and Omaha Steaks to keep this muse around. She has fancy tastes, but look what I get in return! I swear I haven't given up on "Angel Wings" or "What the Hell"... the muses had a cage match and guess which one won. They have to wait their turns. I am seriously humbled by the review love this has gotten with just two chapters and hope to keep the streak going. Please give me some love!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Not gonna lie, felt a little sad about the drop-off in reviews for the last chapter. Especially with the mini-cliffie I left the that chapter on. I'll live. A whooooooooooole lot gets explained in this chapter. Please remember I'm trying to keep _this_ Eric as canon as possible and I in no way think he was celibate while he waited for Sookie to come to her senses. Charlaine built the dollhouse, I'm just dressing her dolls the way I want them to look.**

_ "Sookie, I told you from the beginning. You can trust me. I don't want any harm to come to you."_

_ "Can you do one more thing for me?" Her neck and cheeks started to turn that amazing shade of pink yet again._

_ "I will do everything I can for you. You need only ask." I was truly curious as to what she wanted. Her emotions we flaring too fast for me to get a read on a single one._

_ "Will you kiss me?" she asked._

**x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X**

I looked directly into her stormy blue eyes, wishing, not for the first time, that I could hear _her_ thoughts. "Why do you want me to kiss you, Sookie?"

She sighed and began absentmindedly playing with her hair. "I don't know. I saw and heard all the thoughts and fantasies at the bar tonight. Something about them, and you, push on my brain like I should remember something. I've been trying so hard to recall anything that my head hurts! Maybe if you kiss me, something will click."

I was a little let down that it wasn't an all-consuming attraction to me that prompted her request, but if she thought that it would help her remember _anything_, then it would be careless of me to deny her. Every other time I had kissed her had been hasty, passionate, and in the heat of some very dangerous moments. Vampires are normally not big on kissing for more than a means to an end. This would be different, as I knew Sookie had no intentions of going beyond a kiss.

I leaned down to gently cup her face, enjoying the way her eyes widened and her pupils dilated slightly. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, making me smile. I could feel her heart rate increase as her cheeks and neck blushed the deep pink I was becoming more and more fond of. I leaned in closer to her. "Are you sure you want me to do this?" I asked, needing to know she was comfortable with me.

She reached up and laced her fingers behind my neck. "Something about this seems so familiar," she whispered. "It feels like I've done this before. When you said we'd come close..."

"You and I have been very, very close," I said, lowering my voice to match hers. I leaned in an brushed her right cheek lightly with my lips. "You have been in my arms many times," I whispered, brushing her other cheek. "If _anything_ about this feels familiar to you, it should be this," I breathed against her ear before pressing my lips to hers. She gasped, her breath shaky, and pulled away just enough to break the kiss. I leaned down again, but nothing else. If she wanted more, she would have to make the move.

She didn't disappoint. She stood on her toes while pulling down on the back of my neck. She nipped at my lower lip before sucking it between her teeth. After letting it go, she fully kissed me, threading her fingers into my hair. I felt a strange mix of frustration and arousal coming from her before she removed her arms from around me and leaned back.

"As nice as that was, the only thing I know now that I didn't before is that you used a thousand years of kissing experience to your advantage. But I still don't remember anything about my life before last night. Thank you for letting me test my theory, even though it failed," she said, sounding defeated.

"Sookie, _anytime_ you want to test a theory like that, please consider me your personal guinea pig," I growled, fighting to keep from claiming her right then. "I'm sorry you don't remember anything new, but we have many other avenues to pursue before we lose hope."

She looked up at me shyly. "Would you mind laying with me again until I go to sleep again? I know it's strange, considering it feels like I've only known you for a day, but I feel so safe with you. Thank you for helping me Eric."

I nodded silently and followed her to the guest room. If I told her the things her kiss had made me want, I doubt she would have felt safe and she definitely would not have invited me to her bed. She may not have had the centuries of experience that I did, but she could absolutely hold her own. I bit back the carnal delights that she brought to my mind and focused on her comfort so she could sleep. The night had been hard on her.

She slid under the comforter and positioned herself on her side. I laid behind her again, spooning her body to mine. Again, she pulled my arm over her and held my hand as she snuggled against my body. I choked back the groan that threatened to escape when her ass innocently wiggled against my dick as she sought a comfortable position. She brought my hand to her lips. "Thank you so much," she mumbled as she placed small kisses over my knuckles. She suddenly turned onto her back and looked up at me.

"You have done so much for me, inconvenienced yourself in so many ways. I want to do something for you."

I felt my eyes widen in surprise. "You don't need to do anything for me," I told her, wondering what she would offer and how hard it would be for me to turn down.

"I know that if you hadn't been caring for me the past two nights, you would have something more satisfying than the True Bloods. If I let you bite me, does it hurt?"

Shit. There was only one other thing she could have offered me that would have been harder to resist than that. The taste of her blood was now seared into my memory and I wanted more. I didn't have the willpower to resist her offer, but she deserved to know what went with a blood donation to a vampire.

"Sookie, when a vampire bites, other... hungers become more pronounced. Feeding and sex are very closely intertwined. While I would love to taste your blood again, it would hard to resist the other urges."

She bit her lip, looking indecisive. "Hard, but not impossible?"

"No, not impossible. But..." I paused. For the first time ever, it felt like I was trying to talk a beautiful woman _out_ of giving me her blood. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Eric, I want to give you something for all you have done for me. Let me do this for you." She gathered her hair at the nape of her neck and pulled it to the side, tilting her head and baring her neck to me.

I was fucked. At that sight alone, my fangs dropped and she gasped, seeing them for the first time. She reached up and ran a finger over one, making me moan. "Does it hurt?"

"No more than a bee sting, and it can be quite pleasurable under the right circumstances with the right vampire. I promise to be gentle. Thank you for this."

I leaned over her and nuzzled her neck. The smell of her hair and skin made me slightly dizzy. Finding the vein, I licked and kissed the spot, preparing her for the bite. She gasped slightly as my fangs entered her skin and the exotic taste of her blood flooded my mouth. I kept my fingers on her pulse point on the other side of her neck, not trusting myself to not get lost in the pleasure that was her blood. After a few mouthfuls, I withdrew, licking the wounds until they stopped bleeding. I pricked my finger with a fang to smear blood over the puncture marks to heal them completely. I tried to will away the rock hard erection in my pants, but that wasn't going away on its own as long as the taste of her lingered on my tongue.

"Sookie," I started, my voice heavy with lust that I couldn't keep away, "you have given me a great gift. Thank you again."

"Please don't thank me anymore. It's only fair to compensate you for losing out on feeding by giving you my blood. If we keep doing this dance of me thanking you and you thanking me, we'll never get anything done." She smiled at me as she resettled on her side.

I wanted more than anything to give into my other urges, but, with her, I couldn't. Not while she was so innocently trusting. Unaware and naïve of the world that I had brought her into when I picked her up on the road. I knew she was the same feisty Sookie that I had wanted to claim from the first time that moron Compton had brought her into my bar, but she was so different in so many ways. I had to remind myself constantly that, while she was the same person in the same body, she was learning the rules all over again.

Soon, her deep, even breathing gave away that she was asleep. I removed my hand from her grasp, left the room, and paced the main floor in irritation. Making a spur-of-the moment decision, I left the house and flew back to Fangtasia right before last call. Finding a willing woman there was ridiculously easy, and I had to release the buildup of sexual frustration that had been growing. I wasn't biding my time chastely while I waited for Sookie to yield to me. The slender blonde that was chatting with Chow at the bar would fill the fantasy role perfectly. Catching the eye of my bartender, I flicked my eyes toward her and he retreated from the conversation to give me time to approach.

With very little small talk, I took Amanda to my office, bent her over my desk, and fucked her until I could see straight again. Before releasing her, I glamored her to think she had a fun evening dancing with her friends, but didn't want to return to Fangtasia. I felt disgusted with myself for an unknown reason, which became worse when I saw Pam's knowing smirk.

"I was wondering how long you were going to hold out, Eric. She was pretty, but not of the caliber of the tasty little morsel you have at your home. You know, she would give herself to you with very little coaxing in the state she is in now," she said.

"Pamela," I said, a warning tone in my voice. "I have never forced a woman, and taking in Sookie in this condition would be akin to that."

"Like hell it would," she reasoned. "It would be working the advantages to your benefit. You wouldn't be forcing her."

It was hard to explain to my child, but this Sookie was more appealing than she usually was, not having her stubborn streak keeping her from me. At the same time, she _wasn't_ the same Sookie that I wanted so voraciously that I couldn't stay away from her. It was hard to comprehend for me, who had never wanted something that I couldn't take by force or have handed to me. I bid another good night to Pam before flying home.

I landed in my yard, preparing to let myself into the house, when I froze, hearing footsteps approach from the woods. My fangs dropped and instantly took a defensive crouch. "Show yourself," I growled in the direction of the sound.

"Calm yourself, Northman. I mean no harm," a deep, familiar voice replied, getting closer. "Put those fangs away, first."

I rose from my crouch, but did not retract my fangs. The footsteps paused. "I don't have my father's masking ability. I will not come any closer. I need to speak with you about the woman in your charge."

I knew that voice. It had been a long time since I had heard it, and it was taking a moment to place a name. I sniffed the breeze that had blown from that direction. "Fairy," I moaned, and stalked the scent.

"Freeze, vampire. I have information you need about Sookie and I am the only one who can give it to you. Come closer and I am gone."

I wanted the fairy. I wanted to drain his delicious blood. Never mind that it would probably result in me raping and draining Sookie in the following intoxication. I wanted him. I stalked closer.

"Fuck," the man groaned and I heard the _pop_ of him disappearing. With the delicious scent gone, my mind cleared and my fangs retracted as I tried to recall what he had said. What would a fairy know about Sookie?

"If you're still here and can stay upwind, I'm prepared to hear what you have to say," feeling slightly ridiculous calling to the darkness, hoping the fairy had the sense to keep his scent away from me if he wanted to talk to me. I heard another _pop_ from the other side of the property and turned, hoping the wind didn't shift.

"I need to give you some information about Sookie and why she may have been attacked. I'm taking a large risk coming here, Northman. I hope you can appreciate that once I tell you."

"I know your voice. Some closer," I called. My night vision was excellent, as it is for all vampires, but something was cloaking him from my sight. I saw a shimmer like a mirage in the air, and a man I hadn't seen in centuries appeared before me.

"Fintan? I haven't seen you in this realm in about three hundred years. What about Sookie calls you to the home of a vampire from the land of the Fae?" I asked calmly, since his scent was blowing away from me.

"I need to tell you why she was attacked."

"I'm all ears. Anything that can help her would be appreciated." I told him honestly.

He sniffed as the breeze blew toward him. "You fed on her?" he asked, anger flavoring his voice.

"She willingly donated. Don't change the subject. What do you know about Sookie?" I demanded.

"The witches were making demands on her shifter employer and caught her scent. They followed her to her home after she left, where she would be isolated and unprotected. They could tell what she was and they wanted her magic. It was only by chance that I was able to extract her before their spell to pull it out of her was complete. It was coincidence that you were the one to find her."

"What is she?" I asked, knowing those fucking witches had had something to do with this.

Fintan chuckled, surprised. "Really, Vampire? You don't know? And here I thought that was the reason my sweet grand-daughter had you so captivated."

Never let it be said that a creature over a thousand years old cannot be surprised. "Your grand-daughter!" I exclaimed. She was part Fairy. That explained the scent, the taste, everything.

"She and her brother," he said, rolling his eyes at the mention of Jason, "are both one eighth fairy, but she was the one that got the essential spark of our kind. Jason only has the ability to attract lovers, much like my twin."

I was stunned that I hadn't picked up on the fae in her earlier and felt disappointed in myself for missing it. "So by removing her from the witches, you saved her life, but removed her memory. Am I summarizing that correctly?"

"That is the abridged version, but is accurate. I tell you this for a reason. I am hiding her from Niall for her own protection. It is dangerous for me to spend time on your property for my own safety; you need to protect her in my absence," he said, alarming me with the urgency in his voice.

"What does Niall have to do with this? Surely he knows of her," I said. The prince would have made it a priority to know any of his kin with the spark.

"Of course he knows of her. But I have been hiding her from him. Rogan went to the Summerland. Now Breandan has free reign and wants to cleanse both realms of part-breeds, and if Niall gets near her, she will be marked. The last thing he should do if he wants to keep her safe is meet her. But my father feels himself above such restrictions. To keep her safe, I have hidden her from him and myself from her."

"You realize that you have made this entirely more complicated than it needs to be. Take the fucker out," I said, feeling fury at any creature posing a threat to Sookie.

"He's a prince, Viking. He has several like-minded fairies on his side, feeling that the race should be pure again. I myself am at risk. He also has Neave and Lochlan working to... convince those not willing to choose a side."

I shuddered unwillingly. I had only heard of the siblings that specialized in torture and knew that, even for the fierce, blood-thirsty race that are Fairies, they were fearsome. A powerful catalyst for someone undecided to pick a side.

"Well, thank you for the knowledge. How can it be fixed?" I asked, irritated that the steaming pile of shit that was this entire situation was dropped on my doorstep.

He grimaced. "I'm working on that. Not only does she need to be hidden from Breandan and Niall as well as Neave and Lochlan, but also from the witches that are surely still looking for her. Protect her, Viking. You will be generously rewarded for your assistance."

I took a step toward him, my fangs dropping down again. "I need no reward _from you_ for taking care of Sookie. I was protecting her before you popped here tonight to tell me about this Tinkerbell clusterfuck that your realm has going on. The information helps, but I am doing this for _her_, not you."

"Keep doing it. You are a worthy adversary, Northman. You are uniquely capable of protecting the 'danger magnet' that is my grand-daughter. Now you know who and what to look out for."

And with that, the loud _pop_ signified that he was done with the conversation echoed across the property. I entered the house, making sure the locks reset behind me. I had felt dawn's pull while I was outside and barely made it to my basement resting place before sunrise pulled me under.

**A/N: So. I hope this helped explain a little of what happened. Not really much more to say than that. I assure everyone that I have NOT given up on "Angel Wings" or "What The Hell", but, thanks to Evy kicking my butt wanting more vamp!Eric, I'm kinda grooving on this one for a little while. I am AMAZED by the favorite and alert notices that have been flooding my email lately, but the reviews make me swoon. Work sucks lately, so make me happy by letting me know whatcha think about how I fill my breaks (writing this). **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So, yeah, it's been over two months since I updated this. I fully blame the holidays, my flighty, expensive muse taking off on vacation again, and the whole supe world being a little much for me. I switched it around a little and this chapter is in Sookie's POV. Eric was being stubborn and wouldn't talk to me. **

** Here's how I imagine Sookie's amnesia. She remembers nothing about her life, but there are things that she just _knows_, like cooking and things she would have learned in school. She wouldn't be able to have a discussion about, say, current celebrity gossip, but she would know immediately how to balance a checkbook, follow a recipe, or who Charles Dickens was. That makes sense, right?**

**Also, chapter 4 has been edited. My fairy math was incorrect and that has been corrected.  
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** Charlaine owns them, but I'm flipping the roles for my own perverse enjoyment. All mistakes are on me.**

**SPOV**

I woke up again to a silent house. The clock on the nightstand told me it was close to noon. The time at Fangtasia had worn me out. I had no idea how I was able to function day to day with this telepathy thing. Thank God Eric had told me about building the shields.

I stretched and rolled myself out of the ridiculously comfortable bed and made my way into the amazing bathroom. I was still in awe of it and decided to take advantage since I had around five hours until my host would be rising. I found an assortment of bath oils in the cabinets under the sink and nearly swooned at the scent of jasmine and vanilla, the same scent of the body wash that I had used the night before. I poured a bit into the tub as it filled and undressed, grabbing the book I had started reading to enjoy while I soaked.

As I relaxed, I found myself unable to care about the lives of the Dashwood women, as my thoughts were consumed by Eric. His mouth on mine was seared into my mind and it had been hard to get to sleep with his cool, hard body spooned around mine. I felt so safe with him, but so on edge. I couldn't remember anything about my life before he picked me up off that Godforsaken road in the middle of nowhere. He made me feel things that I couldn't imagine having felt before, even after being told that I had been seriously involved with a vampire previously. It was uncomfortable to be in the room with a person or people who knew more about my own life than I did.

I wanted him to know how much I trusted him and how much I appreciated all that he had done for me. I had been able to pick up from the thoughts in the bar that Eric didn't just spend his time on the dais just being looked at. He used the time to find his meals and... entertainment for the night. My presence was hindering that and felt it only fair that I compensate him. Jesus, the heat in his eyes when he looked at me and the feel of his cool lips and mouth on my neck before he bit me... my eyes rolled back in my head a little. I had nearly choked keeping the moans locked in my throat.

I wanted him. God forgive me, but I wanted him so badly it ached. I wanted him to touch me. I wanted his mouth on me. I wanted him to look down at me with that fire in his eyes that made me feel like I was burning from the inside out. I wanted to hear his deep voice groaning with pleasure that I was giving him.

I was frustrating myself and leaned down to drain the tub. I stepped out and dried myself with the incredibly plushy towels that Eric had stocked the bathroom with. Thanks to the oil in the water, I didn't have to put any lotion on and my skin kept the sensual scent that had made my mind swim earlier. I pulled out a light blue bra and panty set that matched the t-shirt I had picked out and some pale pink yoga pants that were warm and fleecy. After pulling my hair up into a messy, high bun, I looked at the clock and realized that I had killed close to two hours in the tub. Well, that was something. Only three hours left. Now what was I going to do with myself.

Three hours was the perfect amount of time to watch a movie. I had already proven to myself that trying to read was hopeless. I went down to the overwhelming entertainment center in the living room and opened the massive cabinet of DVDs. There were easily more movies in this cabinet than possible to watch in a normal lifetime, but Eric had already lived several of those, hadn't he? I found it amusing that he kept them alphabetized, but otherwise, how would he even begin finding what he was looking for. I scanned through the titles and, deciding that the movie was almost as good as the book (didn't school kids figure that all the time?), plucked out _Sense and Sensibility_, unwrapped it, and spent a little while playing with the remotes, trying to figure out how to get what I wanted on the enormous TV. I found the letter Eric had left for me after my first night here with the instructions, and, after following those steps, was immersed in the romance of Eighteenth century England. How anyone could suspend reality long enough to think that the actress playing the older sister should only be nineteen was beyond me, but I rather liked the girl playing Marianne.

By the time the movie ended, I heard my stomach growl and realized that I hadn't eaten all day. All of a sudden, fried chicken sounded like the best thing ever. I checked the kitchen and found everything I needed. I have no idea _how_ I remembered what I needed, but I did. I pulled out chicken pieces, flour, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, oil, and a cast iron pan. I battered and seasoned the chicken before dropping it into the oil I had been heating on the stove. I found a small radio on the counter and turned it on. After a little tuning, found a station playing the poppy-style country that I loved and danced around the kitchen while I prepared my dinner. I found some lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers in the refrigerator with some ranch salad dressing and thought that would be a perfect side for my dinner. I was so immersed in my dancing, chopping, and cooking that I hadn't realized that I wasn't alone until I head a faint growl behind me.

I jumped and spun to see Eric leaning against the wall in dark jeans and a white wifebeater, staring at me, his eyes wide and hungry looking. The look on his face did all sorts of things to make me shiver. I tried to play it off. "Eric! Don't be all quiet and stalker-y. Come dance with me!" I twirled over to him and grabbed his hand, trying to pull him off the carpeting onto the tile of the kitchen. He resisted at first, but eventually followed me in, although he didn't dance. I turned my chicken so it would cook evenly and turned to face him.

"How was your day?" he asked, seeming very distracted.

"Good. I took a bath and watched a movie before deciding to cook dinner. Is there anything I can get for you?" I asked

"No, I'm fine. I had a blood before coming upstairs."

I turned my attention back to the stove. After I removed the chicken from the pan and drained the oil, I felt Eric's body directly behind me. I felt his face next to my neck and heard him inhale deeply, smelling me. He had never done that before, but I found I kind of liked it. He had explained to me that vampires had extremely acute senses, with better eyesight, hearing, and sense of smell than plain ol' humans. They relied heavily on those abilities to survive. From the rumble in his chest after he sniffed me, he liked what he was picking up on.

I put the veggies in a bowl to distract myself. All I wanted to do was lean back against him. "Was your night okay after I went to sleep? I can't help but feel rude when I crash on you."

A strange flicker crossed his expression. He stayed quiet, but motioned me to the table to eat. He looked like he had something he needed to say.

"After you were asleep, I went back to Fangtasia for a little while. On my way back, I came across an old acquaintance of mine who had some rather interesting information for me. In short, I know what happened to you and why... just not how to fix it," he summarized, propping his chin on his knuckles while he watched me eat.

I swallowed and cocked my head. "Would you mind enlightening me? You have no idea what it's like to know nothing about yourself. Everything I know about me is information you have told me." All of a sudden, everything was overwhelming. The fact that I had over twenty years of memories that just vanished hit me hard at that moment. "I want to know why happened to me and why. I may not know how to fix it, but having a reason for why my mind is a blank slate might make me feel a whole lot better about it."

He took an unnecessary breath and sighed. "Sookie, before I can tell you anything about what I found out last night, there are other aspects of the supernatural world that I need to inform you of. I've told you about vampires, Weres, and shifters. There are also witches. Witches can either be born and come across their power naturally, or study and practice. Now, I have heard from some reliable sources that there is a coven of witches in the Shreveport area targeting businesses owned by members of the supernatural community. The can do all kinds of things from making our drinks go bad to causing falls on the dance floor and beyond, causing my business to go under.

"There are also fairies, who are vicious." He paused and scowled when I giggled, but really? _Fairies_? I tried to picture something other than a snarling Tinkerbell and failed horribly. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge between them for a moment before continuing. "The fairies I am talking about are nothing like your bedtime stories and Disney movies have made them out to be. They are beautiful, yes, but that's where the similarities end. They have a magic that is all their own and many choose not to spend time in the human world. They have their own realm that is closed off from the dangers they can encounter here. Just like silver weakens a vampire, fairies have sensitivities to iron and lemon. But they are very powerful in their own right."

I nodded my understanding, but remained confused. "Okay, I can sort of get all of that, but what on Earth does this have to do with what happened to me?"

"From what I have been told, the coven of witches that is threatening businesses approached your boss, a shifter, with the same threats that they used against me. When they came across you, though, their plans changed. They were able to sense a magic in you that they had not encountered before and wanted it for themselves. They followed you to your home and attacked you, which is where I assume you got the most serious of your physical injuries, as the witches are also werewolves."

"What do you me 'magic in me'? I am just a plain old human... right?" I asked, suddenly uncertain.

"That was what I assumed until last night," he answered, seemingly agitated. "Besides your telepathy, there was nothing that would have made me assume otherwise." He stood up and paced back and forth around the dining room, almost as though he was trying to collect his thoughts. "When I tasted your blood after you were injured, I was more focused on making sure you were comfortable and healing. When you offered your blood to me last night, I could tell you tasted different from the humans that frequent Fangtasia, but I couldn't put my finger on what that difference was.

"Sookie, I met a member of your family last night." He said it with such certainty that I didn't doubt him for a second.

"Was it Jason? Were you able to find my brother?" I was anxious, understandably. I didn't want to be taken away from Eric. I was certain that no one would be able to help me or protect me the way that he could.

He pulled my chair away from the table and kneeled in front of me. He placed his large hands on my shoulders and looked at me with nothing but concern. "I'm not sure what part of your family it comes from, but apparently you are one-eighth fairy and I met your grandfather last night."

"How is that even possible?" I asked, stunned.

He smirked at me and for the first time during the night, his sapphire eyes twinkled with mischief. "Surely you don't need me to tell you how babies are made. Please tell me you remember _that_ much."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, fine, I know _how_ that part is possible. But how could I not know something like that?"

He smiled reassuringly. "Your grandfather's name is Fintan Brigant, the half-human son of a very powerful fairy prince. There are some warring factions in the fairy realm that think any human-fairy hybrid should be, for lack of a better word, exterminated, to cleanse the gene pool. I believe this information was kept from you in an effort to protect both you and Jason; to hide you from notice."

"But if these werewolf witches could pick it up, who's to say that no one else would be able to?" I was suddenly very anxious.

"Sookie, I have been around for centuries and have personally known both your grandfather and great-grandfather, and even _I_ wasn't able to tell. I don't know how the witches were able to . However, they may have just been able to detect some sort of latent, recessive magic in you, but not where it came from, exactly."

There was still something troubling me about the story. "So where does the memory loss come from? Was it some sort of spell they put on me?"

"Fintan has been keeping an eye on you, trying to make sure you are safe from the fairies that want to get rid of hybrids. He used his magic to get you away from the witches, but in the process, he removed your memories."

"Well tell him to get his ass back here and give them back!"

He laughed, although I could detect a slight bitterness. "If he could, I'm sure he would. Even he isn't sure how the memory loss happened when he teleported you to the side of the road. And there is no way that he could come into my home...and hope to survive."

"Damn it. Okay, I guess you're going to have to explain that also."

"Fairies are to vampires what chocolate, champagne and heroin are to humans. They are a sweet, intoxicating drug for us. Just the scent of a fairy can make us lose control. It would not only be dangerous for him, but for you as well. I could not guarantee that I would be able to control myself if I were to allow him into the house, even during the day, if his scent lingered after I rose for the evening."

"Got it. Fairy scent: good, but in a bad way for me. What else do I need to know?" I steeled myself for even more incomprehensible news.

He looked at me confused. "That's everything. Isn't that enough?"

I thought about it and finished my dinner that had gotten cold while we had talked. No, there wasn't really anything else I was curious about as far as my life and my past went. I took a final sip of my tea and took the dishes back into the kitchen. I washed them silently while I processed all the new information that had been given to me over the course of an hour. I slowly dried than and put them away, then cleaned the mess in the kitchen that I had made by cooking. Eric didn't intrude on my thoughts, just watched me and waited to answer any questions that might come to me.

Once everything was clean and shining like before, I turned to him. "Do we have to go to Fangtasia tonight?" I asked apprehensively. I really had no desire whatsoever to go back there and expose myself to all those lusty, hostile thoughts. I was comfortable in Eric's home, relaxing in the silence he gave me.

He considered for a moment. "I believe Pam can run things for me tonight." He tilted his head and considered me. "Did you have something else you would prefer doing?"

I shook my head. "I don't want to keep you from work if you need to be there. _I_ just can't handle going back again; at least, not yet. Last night was really hard on me."

"I understand, Little One. We can find something here to occupy us. I saw that you managed to get the entertainment center working. Would you like to watch some movies tonight?" He smiled at me with such care that I almost cried. I thought of his little pet name for me and shivered just a little, hoping it escaped his notice. Of course it didn't. His smile widened.

We walked over to the cabinet holding a store's worth of movies and looked through them. Since I had indulged my period-piece, chick flick desire earlier, I let him pick. He scanned over his impressive collection and plucked out three boxes. "I have comedy, horror, and drama. You get to pick out of these three, based on the cover." He spread them out on the floor and I looked over them. One had a long white face looking like it was screaming. The one in the middle looked like a bound book with just the word "Dogma" at the top. On the far right, the box looked like it was wrapped in brown paper and tied with string and stamped with the words "Fight Club". Of course, I had no knowledge of any of these movies, but one of them was clearly the horror movie. I picked it up from the collection on the floor and handed it to him. He smiled seeing my selection and started the movie.

We both sat on Eric's oversized sofa watching the opening sequence. It reminded me that humans could be just as violent and ruthless as any supernatural creature. I cringed and scooted closer to Eric, who held me close. Once the violent scene was over, he rearranged us so that he was laying across the width of the couch with me between his legs, my head resting on his chest.

I alternately laughed and cringed throughout the movie, with Eric rubbing my arms or shoulders reassuringly during the scary, violent scenes. At the end, we both stood, him to switch out the movies and me to stretch. I was liking the contact with him far too much, but I didn't want to get too attached. For all I knew, my memories could come back tomorrow morning. I didn't know if I wanted them back, to be honest. He had been so patient, so comforting, so careful with me. My friends and family obviously weren't too concerned about me if they weren't responding to Eric's calls.

Eric was about to put in one of the other movies and I stopped him. I had seen a movie that looked interesting and wanted to see it. I scanned through the boxes looking for the "R"s and saw what looked like a fairly new-ish version of "Romeo + Juliet". I handed it to him. He made some comment about not getting to England until roughly about two hundred fifty years after Shakespeare's time, when he made Pam during the reign of Queen Victoria.

It took me a moment to comprehend how much of life and the world that he had seen and experienced and was a little overwhelmed. I didn't know much about my life, but I assumed I wasn't well traveled or sophisticated, like so many other women that he must have come across and been with in his long existence.

He started the movie and we resumed our previous positions. The way this movie was done intrigued me. The Elizabethan language was kept, but the costuming and weaponry was modern. The boy that played Romeo was very attractive, but he had nothing on the Viking pillow behind me.

I was tired by the end of the movie and Eric followed me back to the guest room to say good night. I thought it was sweet that he understood my need for his company and comfort as I went to sleep. Once his arm wrapped around me, I turned to look up at him from my back. "I want to give you my blood again," I whispered.

He shook his head. "I am very old. I don't need to feed every night."

I continued to look up at him. "What if I was offering because I want you to and not because you need it?"

His brow furrowed as he looked into my eyes. "Well, that would be different. Why do you want me to bite you?"

I gathered my courage before answering. "Would you laugh if I told you that I haven't been able to stop thinking about our kiss since last night? And the way that your mouth felt on my neck?"

He leaned in closer to me, a few wisps of his long blond hair brushing my cheek as he did. "Why would I laugh, Sookie? There is nothing about that that is remotely funny."

"Can I kiss you again, Eric? And not for any other reason than I want to?" I closed my eyes and waited to be shot down.

I didn't hear a laugh, a sigh, or anything else from him. I felt the brush of his full lips over mine and I sucked in my breath in surprise. I got over my shock in quick order and responded to his mouth molding to mine. My hand ran up his bare arm, over his shoulder and around his neck to his hair, where I grasped the long strands in my fist to hold him to me. His tongue ran over the seam between my lips, requesting entrance, which I granted immediately. There was something about him that tasted so good, slightly salty, almost like sea water.

I moved my lips from his and started kissing his neck. I heard the little _snick_ of his fangs dropping before he pulled my head back and resumed kissing my mouth. One large hand slid up my side and paused next to my breast, almost as though he was waiting for my permission. I pulled my hand from his head and placed it over his, moving it to where I wanted it, before returning it to its nest in his hair. His thumb ran over my nipple and he growled in my mouth feeling it harden under his touch.

With what looked like extreme difficulty, he lifted his head from mine and looked down at me. His normally bright eyes were dark and lidded with desire. His fangs dipped over his bottom lip. "Sookie, I want you badly right now. If you don't want this, you need to tell me now. If we continue, I don't know if I'll be able to stop if you want to later."

I used the moment to catch my breath. Was I ready for this? I didn't know what my history with sex was... or if I even had one. Eric had told me that we had been close, but had never actually had sex before. Was I ready for someone like Eric. I kissed him mouth quickly before excusing myself to the bathroom. I needed a moment to think.

**A/N: So, don't kill me, but Eric started butting his POV in toward the end and wanted to tell the next chapter. Now, there's no telling _when_ he'll get around to talking to me, but there ya go. Still completely amazed by the response this has gotten, even with my sketchy updates. Please review and let me know it's worth the effort to keep it up!**


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